Ch. XVn.J THE TUMONGGONG. 277 



rally turned upon his late visit to this country, which he 

 seemed to have greatly enjoyed ; and doubtless the new and 

 enlarged views which he has imbibed from such a visit, and 

 the attentions which he received while here, cannot fail to 

 have a beneficial influence upon his Eastern rule. The 

 Maharajah has become invested with an importance and 

 interest in the eyes of the Malays which he could hardly 

 have otherwise acquired at home ; and they seemed to vie 

 with one another ia showing their loyalty and service. 

 He is, moreover, indebted for his present position to the 

 policy of the English Government, who transferred the rule 

 from the former Sultan to his admiral, the father of the 

 present prince — an act of Sir Henry Butterworth which has 

 been freely canvassed, but was doubtless justified by State 

 reasons which that Governor could well appreciate. 



The sounds which had greeted our arrival at Tanjong 

 Putri, I soon discovered arose from a Thespian entertain- 

 ment, under the auspices of the Chinese; and inasmuch 

 as all this class of performances had a very great family 

 likeness wherever I had an opportimity of witnessing them, 

 I may say a few words descriptive of the singular character 

 of this exhibition. 



There were two of these sing-songs, or open-air Chinese 

 theatres, which were centres of general attraction, placed, 

 however, almost side by side, so that the proceedings of 

 one thrust themselves upon the spectators of the other, and 

 somewhat marred the effect of both. They were good types 

 of Chinese theatricals, and consisted of spacious stages, open 

 in front, and erected above the level of the heads of the 

 spectators, with attap coverings for the benefit of the per- 

 formers, but nothing of the kind for the lookers-on, who 

 either stood sweltering in the sun, or, if they preferred it, 



